welcome to nhk world "newsline." the two leading candidates fighting to be u.s. president hardly have time to sleep or eat as they dart from state to state trying to solidify their support. the latest poll ahead of tuesday's vote suggests barack obama and his republican challenger mitt romney are almost tied. obama has 49% support. romney has 48%. the candidates dashed through key swing states over the weekend, including new hampshire. they are making their final arguments to voters. both campaigns are trying to

lock in crucial electoral college votes. >> you know that i know what real change looks like, because i fought for it alongside you. i've got the scars to prove it. i've got the gray hair to show for it. >> romney hopscotched between the swing states of new hampshire, iowa, colorado and ohio. >> the question of this election comes down to this, you want four more years like the last four years or do you want real change? >> romney is also focusing on wisconsin, one toss-up state where obama is said to have a lead. and he is running more tv ads in pennsylvania, michigan and minnesota. both candidates are scheduled to spend time in ohio monday, the final day of campaigning. obama is leading there, which is not good for romney. no republican has won the

presidency without carrying ohio. the impact of hurricane sandy has left many residents without a place to vote. authorities are scrambling to respond to the situation, particularly in the city of new york, where the storm knocked out dozens of polling stations. new york mayor michael bloomberg says about 140,000 residents will have to find another polling station. more than 60 stations have suffered power outages and flooding. city officials are working to set up alternative sites. authorities in new jersey, another hard-hit area, are planning to use public buildings to allow voters to cast their ballots. hurricane sandy has killed 91 people across nine states. more than 1.8 million households remain without power. experts say providing shelter to the displaced is an urgent issue as they expect cold northwesterly winds to push temperatures down. americans who are able to vote tuesday will judge the presidential candidates on a

range of issues. one of them is their stance on china. some americans consider the world's second largest economy a threat. obama and romney have tried to reflect that sentiment, but as nhk world's susumu kojima tells us, campaign sound bites don't necessarily tell the full story. >> reporter: the employees in wisconsin know the pressures of their industry all too well. they watched colleague after colleague lose it because of competition from chinese factories. chinese companies break trade rules by setting imports at a loss, which pushed him to slash his workforce and hold off on expansion plans. >> any type of elected official

should stand up for a level playing field. we're not asking for anything more. >> reporter: a recent study by the pew research center said many americans consider being tough with the chinese on economic issues an important priority. barack obama has promised american voters he will make china play by the rules. >> we're organizing trade relations with countries other than china so that china starts feeling more pressure about meeting basic international standards. >> reporter: mitt romney's message has been even tougher. >> we have to say to our friends in china, look, you guys are playing aggressively, we understand it, but this can't keep on going. you can't keep on holding down the value of your currency, stealing our intellectual property. >> reporter: however, the reality on the ground is not so

simple. i went to visit an auto parts manufacturer in chicago. three years ago, they were struggling, looking for a new owner. help came from a chinese corporati corporation. the auto parts maker purchased it and kept workers on the line. >> chinese people are looking for the right to work and survive, and we're looking for the same thing. and we work together and, again, create opportunities. i think it's golden. for both of us. >> reporter: they own about 30 american companies. executives maintain they are playing an important role in the u.s.

>> we bought quite a few company out of bankruptcy and those company would have been closed if we didn't buy it. from that point of view, we are very proud in terms of saving american job. >> reporter: an expert on u.s./china relations says the next president will have to adopt policy to an evolving relationship. >> to a large extent the relationship between the u.s. and china is stable because it's so complicated. there are so many areas of interaction -- the trade relationship, the cultural exchanges. the practical relationship has to continue, and the economic and interactions will continue. >> reporter: as china's economic power grows, friction, as well as economic ties with the u.s. are bound to increase. whoever wins the presidential

election will have to balance the tough talk with constructive action. >> earlier i spoke with susumu kojima, who has been following the u.s. election. susumu, obviously campaign talk is sometimes just that -- talk. but why did both candidates target china? >> well, the main theme of this election is the economy, more specifically, jobs. obama and romney have competing visions for how they will get things back on track. in some cases they need to give american voters a simple reason to explain job losses. so both candidates point to china as one of those reasons. some americans would buy their explanation. they see chinese products and investments everywhere in the u.s. there's another aspect, though. both candidates have to present themselves as a strong leader in the face of a rising china. the country's now the world's second largest economy.

its military is growing. the u.s. is also shifting its focus to the asia and pacific. >> what kind of lasting impact could this campaign rhetoric have? >> professor nathan says harsh words might give chinese leaders the wrong message and could have a negative impact on u.s./china relations. this is key to the u.s. economic recovery, and also you have to know that china is the larger holder of u.s. debts. bottom line is whoever wins this election, obama or romney, will have to work with china's new leadership, which takes power later this month. these companies have a direct relationship. it will likely evolve, but it's something both sides have to maintain and nurture, because their economies are intertwined and interdependent. >> that was susumu kojima reporting from washington.

asian and european leaders are discussing ways to strengthen economic and political ties during a two-day meeting in laos. among their main concerns is the global economic slowdown triggered by the european credit crisis. the asia/europe meeting brings together leaders and cabinet ministers from 49 countries. >> translator: this year's asia europe meeting is being held amid the global financial crisis. the gathering is drawing hopes that it will help solve the variety of problems faced by asia and europe. >> eu president herman van rompuy called for an expansion of trade to deepen economic ties with asia. >> our interdependence is greater than ever. european union is firmly committed to its responsibilities as a strong

world actor and a strong partner for asia. >> the leaders will also discuss ways to boost investment and strengthen financial cooperation between the two regions. japanese prime minister yoshihiko noda met van rompuy and another eu leader on the sidelines of the asem gathering. they agreed to start free trade negotiations as early as possible in 2013. noda met with van rompuy and european commission president jose manuel barroso. he told them japan will promote measures to eliminate nontariff trade barriers. he also asked them to win the support of eu members in getting economic partnership talks started as soon as possible. the european leaders noted some member countries haven't announced their support. but they said free trade with japan is important for the region's economic growth. noda, van rompuy, and barroso decided to hold a summit early next year during which time they would agree to an official start

of the epa talks. toyota motor is predicting that its operating profit for this fiscal year will be bigger than it has expected. that's because of strong sales in north america and southeast asian countries as well as cost-cutting efforts. the automaker estimates that profit for the business year ending next march will total $13 billion. that's up 5% in yen terms from its previous projection. but sales are seen falling 3% from an initial prediction of $265 billion. toyota says sales in china will remain weak due to tensions over bilateral territorial dispute. the company also says profit for the first half came to about $8.6 billion, swinging back from a year-earlier loss. first-half sales stood at $136 billion, surging 36% from the same period last year. toyota officials say sales in

japan were strong due to government subsidies for ecocar buyers. mazda has been badly hit by the recent tension between japan and china. japanese automaker's new car sales in china nearly halved in october from the same month last year. mazda said it sold 9,511 units, down 44.9% from a year ago. that was even worse than september sales, which recorded a year-on-year decline of 35%. chinese customers have shunned japanese products since the territorial dispute sent ties into deep freeze. mazda has lowered its sales estimate in china for the current business year to about 170,000 from 255,000. the company also stopped nighttime operations at its plant in nanjing from late october. the plant is a joint venture. mazda said sales are expected to

remain sluggish. the company says it will adjust output at the china plant to control inventory. south korea has ordered suspensions of two nuclear reactors to replace thousands of parts with fake warranties. the country's knowledge economy ministry sent more than 5200 such parts are in use at five nuclear plants. it said eight part suppliers have been fabricating warranties since 2003. but the ministry says the parts in r not related to key functions of reactors. the government ordered the immediate suspensions at the yeonggwang nuclear power plant in the province. many of the parts are in use at the facility. the operator plans to replace them this year. ministry officials say the suspensions may lead to

unprecedented power shortages this winter. they say they will draw up an emergency energy saving plan for homes and businesses. the next presidential election in afghanistan is scheduled for april 2014. that is also the year when u.s.-led forces will withdraw from the war-torn nation. now the government is trying to shore up security by encouraging taliban soldiers to leave their posts and integrate into local communities. but some observers question the effectiveness of the program. nhk world's hideki yui reports. >> reporter: in the central province, a ceremony is held for those reintegrating into society. >> translator: i have fought for over ten years. many of my comrades were killed or injured. i'm tired of this.

>> reporter: taliban soldiers who hand in their weapons to the afghan government receive about $360 to cover short-term living expenses. this is equivalent to six months' average salary in the country. >> translator: the afghan government pledges full support for people who participate in the peace process. >> reporter: this energy role which is financially supported by the japanese government gives former soldiers work removing land mines. unexploded mines have been accumulating in conflict since the invasion of the former soviet union in 1979. such devices remain scattered across the country, and innocent people continue to fall victim to them.

former soldiers are housed together and go out every to use metal detectors in their search for land mines. >> translator: i'm happy. by doing land mine removal, i can contribute to my country while i get paid and send my children to school. >> reporter: international forces estimate that over 5,000 soldiers have left the taliban in the past two years and believe the group has definitely been weakened. >> the pressure will still be applied by a very capable afghan national security forces, and therefore, they're increasingly thinking about reintegration. because it's the only way they're going to stop fighting to preserve their own lives. >> reporter: on the other hand, a muslim leader knowledgeable of the taliban say its soldiers still feel a strong sense of unity. >> translator: many farmers and unemployed people pretend to be

taliban to the government so they can get cash and work. the government is giving the wrong impression by saying the group is weakening. >> reporter: the national government is striving to convince as many taliban soldiers as possible to reintegrate before international troops pull out in 2014. the success of that strategy to weaken the taliban will be a major influence on the scheduled security handover. hideki yui, nhk world, kabul. the operators of kansai international airport in osaka have set themselves a lofty goal. they want to become one of aai sha's major transportation hubs. to do that, they're laying out the welcome mat for low-cost carriers which are now jetting

travellers around japan and across the region. nhk world's kazuo hamimoto has the story. >> reporter: kansai airport's terminal two opened in late october. it's been built especially for low-cost carriers. >> translator: japan is seeing the start of a full-fledged low-cost carrier industry. japan's airlines and airports are aiming to be more competitive in asia. >> reporter: at present, the only airline using the terminal is budget carrier peach aviation, which uses kansai airport as its hub. kansai has been designed to fit the business model used by low-cost carriers. budget airlines like to use airport at night or early in the morning when landing fees are cheapest. so a 24-hour convenience store

operates inside the terminal. the building design is very simple with exposed ceiling frames and a white interior to cut lighting costs. thanks to savings like these, the charge paid by passengers on international flight is about 40% less than usual. >> translator: i think it looks really good. i like the simple look. >> reporter: there are no boarding bridges linking the planes directly to the terminal. instead, passengers have to walk across the airport ground and climb the steps to board their flights. lower construction and operating costs translates to lower fees paid by the airlines. >> translator: i can easily put up with this if it means it's cheap. that's my top priority -- cheap fares.

>> reporter: usually, aircraft park directly facing the airport terminal building. however, this means they have to be pushed back onto the ramp by special tractors. but at kansai's terminal two, the planes park on the diagonal. this allows them to turn under their own power and taxi out to the runway. besides reducing the time spent at the terminal gate, this means the airline does not have to pay for the pushback tractor. in building this new terminal, kansai airport has looked to malaysia as an example. kuala lumpur international airport has had a low-cost carrier terminal since 2006, and next year it will open a new one, which will be the largest of its kind in the world. kansai airport has drawn on the malaysian business model in its effort to attract budget carriers from around the world. other airports around japan are also starting to respond to the growing demand for low-cost

flights. naha airport in okinawa also opened an lcc terminal in october, and narita airport outside tokyo plans to have a terminal for budget carriers by 2015. >> translator: the low-cost carrier market is growing rapidly. airports are also changing to accommodate the low-cost airlines. kansai airport aims to become a key hub to tab the rising demand around asia. >> reporter: airports around japan are now competing to attract more budget carriers. kansai airport is already looking ahead and has plans to build a second low-cost carrier terminal by 2015. kozue hamamoto, nhk world, osaka. japan's national tax agency says that as of narch year the country's delinquent taxpayers owed the state $17 billion. the agency holds annual auctions

of items it confiscates from nonpayers. this auction will include some interesting items. the opening bid for this 7.5 carat diamond has been set at a record high $510,000. experts say the gem's cut, color, and clarity are exceptional. vintage foreign sports cars and brand-name bags for coats and kimono fabric will also be up for sale. >> reporter: we want to sell the items for as much as possible to reduce that amount we're owed. we're doing all we can. >> the agency plans to hold an auction from november 22nd to the 26th. weather in china is recovering from the snow, but things are looking hazy for japan. meteorologist robert speta is here with the details. robert? >> well, yes, things are going

to be starting to go downhill throughout the start of the workweek here across much of japan. we still see that swirl in the satellite picture just across eastern china slowly meandering and moving off towards the east. this will bring gusty winds across korea and eventually towards the western seaboards of japan here. but also, look at this front attached to it. that's pushing off towards the east and already in koichi you've been seeing near 70 kilometer-per-hour winds today, also heavy rains and as it continues to push off toward the east. tokyo throughout the day on tuesday about 100 to 120 milliliters of heavy rainfall is going to cur throughout the day here. so definitely want to watch this storm system as it continues to move overhead. hokkaido throughout the remainder of the workweek. this storm system as it lingers and slowly moves to the northeast will meander across the northern portions of japan. doesn't look like too much of improvement over your area. western japan, clear skies settling in tuesday evening eventually into wednesday and high pressure across much of

eastern china here. then take a look at this. another system will start to develop around chongqing, move off towards the east, and by the latter part of the workweek, eastern china, western japan will have to watch out for that system as it develops. chongqing with a high of 17, beijing at 11 and ulaanbaatar, you are getting above the freezing mark on your tuesday, up to 1 degree for you. on the flip side, though, bangkok with a high of 35. look over towards the americas and first talk about the northeast here. some cleari ing skies across mu of this a area, but you are still recovering from sandy which occurred last week. i want to show you a video out of queens here in new york, one week after sandy hit. this was a low-lying area that was inundated by massive waves and battered by hurricane-force winds. at least 100 homes were destroyed from a fire resulting from a gas explosion triggered by the storm here. the main challenge facing these residents is a lack of heating and electricity as temperatures

are expected to fall here throughout the next several days due to a high pressure coming in from the great lakes. you see this, that's carrying an abundance of cold air with it. overnight temperatures could be getting down to freezing, even below freezing. farther towards the south, we have this low-pressure area. that's going to spark up severe weather across the gulf states drawing in moisture out of the gulf of mexico here, pulling it off there towards the north. severe weather could be on tap on your monday across louisiana, mississippi, alabama, and eventually into tuesday, pushing towards the east across the southeastern u.s. this very well could affect some of the polls out here as those rain showers and thunderstorms come down. people may want to stay indoors. then on wednesday pushing off towards the northeast, and this could be a very potent and dangerous storm system across the northeast even across new england as people once again are still recovering here with this nor'easter coming in, bringing some gusty winds and damaging waves near the coastlines. speaking of the election, here is your tuesday outlook. seattle and chicago, you're expecting some rain showers across much of the area. new orleans with clearing skies. once again, monday, thunderstorm

activity, tuesday, some clearing behind, and farther off towards the west across new york and washington, you see sunny sky, cloudy there in d.c., though. cold overnight temperatures, down near freezing. towards europe, cloudy sky, a bonfire night on monday night will be well across this area, but on tuesday that frontal area pushing in from the north brings some rain showers across the region for you. towards italy, though, another system will start to clear out over towards the balkans. you saw some 90 kilometer-per-hour winds so, much fairer weather for you on tap. rome with a high of 19. london on the cooler side with 8. here's a look at your extended forecast. ♪

we'll be back with more updates in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo.

from all of us here at nhk world, have a great day wherever you are.